Appointments and Resignations

U.S. Ambassador to Algeria: Who Is Joan Polaschik?

A year later, on September 11, 2012, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked. Four people, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed. Before the attacks, Polaschik had gone to Washington to urge more security for the diplomatic facilities in Libya. Her pleas were ignored, but she drew praise after the attack for having made the effort. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay: Who Is Leslie Bassett?

According to an article Bassett wrote for Foreign Service Journal in 2010, she was shot at and took part in an embassy evacuation in El Salvador; her house was ransacked during her time in Nicaragua and she narrowly escaped a mob; and she served in Israel during the second intifada. read more

No One in Charge at EPA Office Overseeing Water Safety as Nominee Waits more than 3 Years for Confirmation

Ken Kopocis was nominated by President Barack Obama to head the EPA’s Water Office in February 2011 and has been waiting for confirmation ever since. Now, Nancy Stoner, who has been acting as chief of the Water Office since then, is leaving the EPA because the law limits how long a temporary leader can hold office…and no one will be in charge. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Russia: Who Is John Tefft?

Tefft retired as ambassador, and from the State Department, in 2013. He was named executive director of the RAND Business Leaders Forum, described by Lynnley Browning of Newsweek as “a clubby lobbying group” which considers strategic issues facing the United States, Russia and Europe. However he was called out of retirement less than a year later by President Barack Obama to serve in Moscow. Although Russia signed off on Tefft’s nomination, he’s not popular with the government there. read more

Ambassador to Macedonia: Who Is Jess Baily?

In 2010, Baily was named director of the Office of Southeast European Affairs, where he managed bilateral relations between the United States and Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Baily returned to Turkey as deputy chief of mission in Ankara in 2011, where he has worked since. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Moldova: Who Is James Pettit?

Pettit returned to Moscow in 2003 as consul general. Much of his time was spent working with American companies who had difficulties getting permission for their employees to travel to the United States. Pettit moved to Kyiv, Ukraine in 2007 as deputy chief of mission in the U.S. Embassy. He returned to Washington in 2010 as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, where he has served since. read more

Commissioner of the Social Security Administration: Who Is Carolyn Colvin?

Colvin has been serving in the job in an acting capacity since February 14, 2013. One of her major decisions in her current job was to halt collection of decades-old Social Security overpayments from beneficiaries or their descendants. Some people found their refunds from 2013 income taxes attached to settle overpayments of which they had no knowledge and derived no benefit. In April, Colvin halted the collections. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica: Who Is S. Fitzgerald Haney?

In 2007, Haney moved to Pzena Investment Management as principal and director of business development and client services. In 2013, he was made a director of the firm. Haney donated $30,800 to the Obama Victory Fund for the 2008 election and $75,800 to the group in the 2012 cycle and has given to other Democratic races as well. In December 2013, he was named a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Honduras: Who Is James Nealon?

Nealon took a job as deputy chief of staff at the embassy in Peru in 2007. While in Peru, Nealon wrote a report, later released by WikiLeaks, expressing concern about “anti-system radicals” who might “lay the groundwork for a more systematic assault on the pro-growth model.” In December 2012, President Obama proposed Nealon as the ambassador to Bolivia, but, not surprisingly considering his comments, Nealon was rejected by the Bolivian government. read more

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea: Who Is Mark Lippert?

After Obama’s inauguration, Lippert was a deputy assistant to the president and then was named chief of staff for the National Security Council (NSC). Lippert left the NSC in 2010. If confirmed, Lippert will be the first political appointee to head the Seoul embassy; the job has previously been filled by career Foreign Service appointees. However, the South Korean government is reportedly eager to have an ambassador with such close ties to Obama. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Egypt: Who Is Stephen Beecroft?

In 2003, Beecroft was named special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and the following year was special assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Beecroft remained in the job when Condoleezza Rice took over the State Department. Beecroft served as ambassador to Jordan from July 17, 2008 to June 4, 2011. Beecroft was transferred to Baghdad, Iraq, on July 14, 2011. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Jordan: Who Is Alice Wells?

Until 2011, she was executive assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J. Burns. Wells was then named executive assistant to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, working with her until 2012. At that time, she moved to the White House, becoming special assistant to the president for Russia and Central Asia. Since 2013, Wells has served as an assessor at the Foreign Service Board of Examiners. read more

U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas: Who Is Cassandra Butts?

She went to Harvard Law School, where she became close friends with Obama. Butts was brought onto Obama’s staff in 2008, serving as deputy White House counsel after the inauguration. She again helped with the vetting process, checking into the background of Supreme Court nominees. In 2009, Butts was made a senior adviser to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). read more

VA Cemetery Chief Retires One Month before Publication of Report Exposing his Prohibited Personnel Practices

The report charged that Muro created a job for a friend in violation of civil service regulations; that he had an improper relationship with a contractor for the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), which he managed; and that he improperly gave that contractor business for educational services that were already available through VA channels. read more

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Who Is Bob McDonald?

In 2012, there began to be a drumbeat of criticism about P&G’s earnings and stock price. An outside activist investor, Bill Ackman, leveled complaints about the company’s performance, saying that McDonald was spending too much time on outside activities. Despite cutting thousands of jobs and bringing up P&G’s stock price, McDonald was pushed out in June 2013 and replaced by the man he had succeeded in the job, A.G. Lafley. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan: Who Is George Krol?

Krol was nominated to be ambassador to Uzbekistan in July 2010 and assumed the post about a year later. While there, he has taken criticism from human rights groups in the country for deferring to the regime of Islam Karimov, under which there are frequent rights violations, including forced labor of its citizens, and little freedom of expression. read more